President Valerie Smith shared the following message with the campus community on August 24, 2026:

Dear Friends,

With deep sadness, I write to share the news that Brett A. Day, a longtime member of the Dining staff, died on Saturday, Aug. 15. He was 54.

Brett, who devoted 34 years to serving this community, is remembered as a patient and natural leader who took great pride in his work and always offered support with kindness and a smile.

Brett is survived by his wife, Kathleen “Katie” McGowan Day, a former Dining staff member who worked for several years at Kohlberg Coffee Bar; children Angel, Cayla, Destiny, Zania Ann, and Brittany Nicole Day; sister Naja Day; and many grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. 

A visitation will take place Saturday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m. at O'Leary Funeral Home, 640 E. Springfield Rd., in Springfield, Pa., followed by a funeral service at 11:30 a.m. Burial will be private. 

I invite you to read more below about Brett and his many contributions to our community. 

Sincerely,

Val Smith
President
Roy J. and Linda G. Shanker Presidential Chair

In Honor of Longtime Dining Staff Member Brett Day 

Brett A. Day, who served the campus community as a staff member in Dining for 34 years, died on Saturday, Aug. 15, at 54. With his passing, Swarthmore has lost one of its most dependable, kind, and committed community members. 

“Brett was deeply dedicated to his work and to the people around him,” says friend and colleague Lynn Grady, administrative services manager, who worked with Day for more than 30 years. “He could always be counted on, and he brought a sense of commitment and integrity to everything he did. But what I will remember most is his kindness. He had a genuine way of making people feel valued and welcomed.”

“There was never a task too small or too big for Brett,” says Day’s supervisor, Associate Director, Dining and Executive Chef Tom Ramsey. “He approached everything with grace and positivity, embodied professionalism and compassion, and set the standard for customer service both within our team and across campus. His willingness to listen and help others made him a true cornerstone of our community.”

“Even though I did not have the privilege of knowing him personally, the stories shared by those who worked alongside him for decades paint a clear picture of a vital, smiling, and deeply loved individual,” says Erich Geiger, executive director of Dining. 

Day was born and raised in Delaware County and graduated from Ridley High School. He came to Swarthmore in 1992 and joined Dining as a dishwasher. During Dining’s slower summer months, he also worked in EVS. 

Since 2020, as food and service supervisor, Day oversaw the department’s utility operations and was responsible for the overall cleanliness of the Dining Center, including all dishes, utensils, the pulper room, trash management, and equipment. 

“This position is one of the most challenging roles in Dining,” Ramsey says. “It is truly the heart of our operation.”

“From the very beginning, Brett approached his job with a genuine desire to learn every aspect of the operation,” says retired director Linda McDougall, who hired Day. “Over the years, he grew into a supervisor responsible for 15–20 part-time and full-time staff members. He was always willing to help. That was simply who he was.”

Day was widely known for never saying no when asked to help. 

“Brett worked every Thanksgiving, helping provide our students who could not return home with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner,” McDougall says. “He sacrificed time with his own family to make sure others could enjoy that special day. He also volunteered every year for Midnight Breakfast.”

“Brett inspired us all to help one another,” says friend Patti Woods, recently retired assistant administrative services manager. “I once mentioned this admirable quality to him, and he said: ‘I live my life this way because that is how I was raised. My mother and grandmother always told me that my job is to be there for others.’”

Day celebrated 30 years at the College during the 2023 Winter Gathering. Over the years, he worked countless events with his colleagues that were “often strenuous and demanding,” Grady says, adding that Day had a way of making them fun. 

“We literally weathered storms, hurricanes, and floods together while working Spring Flings, Commencements, inaugurations, Alumni Weekends, Winter Gatherings, Halloween parties, and so many other events that I couldn't possibly name them all,” Grady says. “One Spring Fling, Brett was on cotton candy duty and, before long, he was completely covered in pink sugar. I will never forget the look on his face — hard at work, taking care of what needed to be done, but always able to find the humor.”

“I believe that Brett loved working for Swarthmore College,” she says. 

Another longtime colleague, Therese Hopson, says Day was a jokester who “always had your back — even if he had to complain about it first. His smile would light up a room, and his laughter would echo throughout the dining hall. I am deeply grateful to have had him as a friend and comrade.” 

Outside of Swarthmore, Day volunteered for 12 years with the South Media Fire Company.

Day met his wife, Katie, while working together in Dining years ago, and they married in 2018. “They were our staff Matchbox Couple,” Grady says. “Together, they lived their wedding vows: to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health — to say the very least. Their love and devotion to one another inspired everyone who knew them.”

“May the many wonderful memories of Brett bring comfort in the days ahead,” Grady says. “May we remember his kindness, humor, dedication, and that unmistakable ability he had to make even the hardest days a little lighter.”